Queens Drug Trafficking Bust: 77 Guns Seized in Six-Month Investigation

Queens Drug Trafficking Investigation

• 🎯 A six-month undercover, multi-agency investigation in Queens has led to the seizure of 77 firearms.
• ⛓️ The operation, which involved undercover buys since March, has been described as the definition of the "iron pipeline", where guns are bought legally in southern states and trafficked up the East Coast.

Key Arrests and Charges

• ⚖️ Teddy Gaston, 39, and Jezel Hust, 41, have been indicted on 194 counts, including criminal possession and sale of a firearm.
• 🚨 Investigators believe most transactions occurred in a McDonald's parking lot on Merrick Boulevard in Rosedale.
• ⏳ Both defendants face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the weapons charges.

Seized Items and Evidence

• 💥 Among the confiscated items were 77 weapons, including a ghost gun, and multiple rounds of ammunition.
• 💊 Authorities also seized 98 fentanyl pills and approximately 100 grams of cocaine.
• 📍 Forensic testing revealed that several firearms had been used in shootings in Maryland and Georgia, involving multiple victims.
• 📅 Gaston and Hust are due back in court on October 6th in Q Gardens.